Abstract

Acid whey presents a major disposal issue for the dairy industry due to its high lactic acid and mineral concentrations. In this work, the feasibility of using membrane technology to treat acid whey to produce high quality whey powder was demonstrated at pilot scale. Three process combinations were tested, namely, (1) ultrafiltration and electrodialysis; (2) ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and electrodialysis; and (3) ultrafiltration, dia-nanofiltration, and electrodialysis. All three combinations were successful in reducing the levels of lactic acid and minerals in acid whey. However, the lowest ratio between lactic acid and lactose (0.017 g lactic acid/g of lactose) was obtained with the ..

Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council

Funding Acknowledgements

This research was supported under Australian Research Council's Industrial Transformation Research Program (ITRP) funding scheme (Project Number IH120100005). The ARC Dairy Innovation Hub is a collaboration between The University of Melbourne, The University of Queensland and Dairy Innovation Australia Ltd. Funding support and provision of acid whey by Bega Cheese Limited is also gratefully acknowledged.